"Baby box" opposition surfaces as Iowa adds third site
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Norwalk recently installed this climate-controlled baby box at the city's fire department. Photos: Courtesy of the city of Norwalk
An adoption advocacy group is urging lawmakers and local officials to halt Iowa's expansion of "baby boxes," arguing they compromise the intent of the state's Safe Haven law to ensure infant and parent safety.
Why it matters: The debate reveals a conflict over whether the specially designed compartments that allow parents — or someone they designate — to anonymously leave an infant are a good way to support families in crisis.
Catch up quick: The boxes are climate-controlled compartments built into fire stations or hospitals.
- An exterior door provides access and is intended for a child no more than 90 days old, alerting responders when it closes, allowing the infant to be retrieved within minutes.
Driving the news: Norwalk officials held a dedication ceremony at the city's fire station last week for Iowa's third box.
Zoom in: One is also located at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, and the other is at Fort Dodge's fire station.
- Windsor Heights' fire department is currently raising money for one.
- Nationally, there are nearly 400, according to the Safe Haven Baby Boxes advocacy group.
Context: A Norwalk baby who died after being left in a bag and dumped in a ditch in 2023 inspired the city's box, Fire Chief Jennifer Porter told KCCI last week.
What they're saying: Iowa's Safe Haven law was designed for person-to-person surrender and required staff to offer medical and resource packets, "a critical step impossible to complete through a box," according to a statement from the Iowa Adoptee and Family Coalition (IAFC).
- The law was amended in 2023 to allow for baby boxes, but the IAFC argues that their use raises ethical dilemmas, such as the possibility that an infant could be surrendered by a controlling partner or human trafficker or whether the drop-off is truly anonymous due to cameras at the sites.
Zoom in: IAFC, which has successfully lobbied for other Iowa adoptive changes, plans to advocate for expanded Safe Haven training that it says is necessary to prevent further confusion and liability.
The other side: Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey defended the devices in a TikTok video, claiming that IAFC referenced outdated laws in some of its arguments, but agreed that better training is needed for the boxes.
- The Norwalk Fire Department responded to IAFC in a statement to Axios, saying it "reaffirms its unwavering commitment" to the Safe Haven law and that its staff has been comprehensively trained on how to use the box.
- The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declined Axios' request to comment on the group's concerns.
The big picture: As of last month, no babies had been surrendered in Iowa's boxes, according to Stop Baby Boxes Now (SBBN), a nonpartisan website that monitors legislation and says they are unethical.
Stunning stat: Over 60 children in Iowa have been surrendered under Safe Haven laws since the law was enacted in 2002, per HHS.
What we're watching: Whether concerns about baby boxes and related training gain traction in Iowa's upcoming legislative session.